Data storage cartridge having an interlock mechanism to prevent improper insertion with a cooperating data storage drive

ABSTRACT

A cartridge for a disk drive has a rigid shell with a keying ear and two keying grooves. The keying ear is located on the rounded front at one corner between the top and bottom surfaces of the cartridge shell. The ear cooperates with a projection located in the drive along the drive receiving slot. The keying grooves are along the top and bottom edges of one side of the cartridge. These groves mate with projections on the cartridge receiving slot in the drive. One of the grooves extends deeper into one planar surface of the cartridge than the other grove. Both keys prevent insertion of the cartridge with any other orientation of the cartridge than the correct orientation.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/928,189filed Sep. 12, 1997

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to data storage drives and, more particularly, toa removable cartridge for magnetic disk drives that contains an earlocated in the front of the cartridge to keep the cartridge secure forproper drive operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Magnetic disk drives which write and read digital data from flexiblemagnetic disks have been extensively used. “Floppy disk drives” havebeen extensively used for small, so-called microcomputer systems, forword processing applications and the like. The flexible disk cartridgeincludes a relatively thin, flexible jacket which is inserted into thefloppy disk drive.

“Bernoulli” disk drives having performance characteristics similar tothat of fixed disk drives, but with removable cartridges, have beenused. A flexible magnetic disk is enclosed in a rigid box which isnormally completely closed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,400,748-Bauck, et al andrelated patents to the common assignee show such drives using Bernoullistabilized flexible disks. U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,173-Jones et al andrelated patents to a common assignee, show improvements which relate toso-called “half height” drives.

Rigid disk drives, such as the IBM 3350, usually have a fixed rigidmagnetic media. The magnetic heads do not contact the magnetic surface,but ride on a thin film of air. Because of this, and other features,these disk drives are capable of extremely precise and high speedoperation. This type of disk drive is commonly referred to as a“Winchester” drive. Rigid disks enclosed in a rigid, removablecartridge, or shell have also been used. U.S. Pat. No.4,864,452-Thompson, et al is an example of such a drive.

Winchester drives utilize a rigid magnetic media for recording thedesired data. This is different from the flexible media found inBernoulli drives. The JAZ™ drive sold by the assignee of the presentinvention uses such rigid media and Winchester type heads in datastorage drives.

The particular shape of the cartridge visually identifies to the userthat it can be inserted into the intended drive. However, this shapeallows other similar sized cartridges to be inserted.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,074, Summer, et al. (Ser. No. 08/752,823) shows acartridge for use with the JAZ™ Drive sold by Iomega Corp., assignee ofthe present applicant. The JAZ™ cartridge shown in this patent haskeying slots which prevent improper insertion of the cartridge. Mostremovable cartridge drives (magnetic and optical) typically useapproximately the same form factor cartridges, i.e., 3.5″, 5.25″, etc.Hence if one of these cartridges is inserted into the cartridge slot ofa non-mating drive there is a high probability that either the drive(heads, load mechanism, electronics, etc.) or the data on the disk couldbe damaged.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,218,503 Martin and 5,280,403-Martin describe a diskdrive with a cartridge which has a beveled edge. The beveled edge iscompatible with a slanted portion of the disk drive in order to ensurethat the cartridge is inserted into the drive in the proper orientationand that the cartridge is properly inserted in the drive, so that theheads can be unloaded onto the disk. U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,918-Tannertshows a cartridge having a door opening groove and a guide groove. Theguide groove cooperates with an interlocking recess in the drive tocenter the position and hold the cartridge in the drive.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,398,141-Tannert and 5,422,775-Martin show hard diskcartridges and drives having 2.5″and 3.5″form factors respectively.These patents, assigned to SyQuest Technology, Inc., show cartridgeshaving a square front. The SyJet cartridge sold by SyQuest® has arounded front with “ears” on both sides.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,710-Nicklos, shows a disk drive having an automaticspindle motor loading mechanism that for the JAZ™drive sold by Iomega,Corp., assignee of the present applicant. The JAZ™drive shown in thispatent as used for writing and reading data to and from a disk containedin a cartridge. The cartridge is inserted through an opening into thedisk drive which includes a motor ring ratably mounted in the disk driveand a spindle motor for rotating the disk. The spindle motor is mountedin the motor ring such that rotation of the motor ring moves the spindlemotor into and out of engagement with the hub of the disk cartridge. Aposition transducer provides an output signal indicating the essentialposition of the motor ring. A load/eject motor controls the rotation ofthe motor ring in response to the output signal from the positiontransducer.

A problem arises when the storage capacity of cartridges used in suchdrives is increased. With this increase, it is desirable that the newdata storage drives will accommodate earlier disk cartridges. The newdrive is capable of operating on prior cartridges having smaller datacapacity. However, the converse is not true, the old data storage drivescan not operate on the new data storage cartridges. This “backwards”compatibility is made possible by the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention, the front of the cartridge is roundedand has a keying ear located on the rounded front at one corner betweenthe top and bottom surfaces of the cartridge shell. This ear preventsinsertion of similar sized cartridges which are not compatible witholder drives. The ear cooperates with a projection located internally inthe drive along the opening of the slot into which the cartridge isinserted. Because of the ear, the cartridge will not operate in theinterlock mechanism in prior drives.

On the other hand the drive of the present invention provides backwardscompatibility for the cartridge. The keying ear will prevent the use ofthis cartridge in earlier data storage drives because with the ear, thecartridge will not engage the cartridge loading mechanism of earlierdrives. However, the drive of the present invention will accommodate thenew cartridge with the ear.

The foregoing, and other features, advantages and objects of theinvention will be better understood from the following more detaileddescription and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the specification, illustrate the preferred embodiment of theinvention and together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention.

The invention will now be further described by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a top view of the cartridge of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the cartridge;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the cartridge with the door closed;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the cartridge with the door open;

FIG. 5 shows the drive;

FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view of the disk drive of FIG. 5 withits outer housing removed to expose the drive chassis and variouscomponents mounted thereon;

FIG. 5B is a top view of the disk drive of FIG. 5, having a cartridgeinserted, with its outer housing removed to expose the drive, chassisand various components mounted thereon;

FIG. 5C is an exploded view of the disk drive in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the front panel; and

FIGS. 7A-7C are top, front and side views of the front panel

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1-4 show a cartridge having two halves 11 and 12 joined togetherat 13. The cartridge has a front 14, a back 15 and two sides 16 and 17between substantially flat, planar surfaces 18 and 19. An opening 20 inthe front of the cartridge provides access for the read/write heads tothe recording disks 23, 23A (FIG. 4). A flexible door 21 covers theopening when the cartridge is removed from the drive.

A keying ear 22 located in the rounded portion of the cartridge front 14between the cartridge opening 20 and cartridge side 17, prevents thecartridge from being operated upon in a drive without the interlockingmechanism of the present invention.

Two halves 11 and 12 when joined together at 13 form the keying ear 22.The keying ear extends to a radius 22A where the ear meets the roundedfront portion 14. A relatively flat portion 22B extends from radius 22Ato the corner of the cartridge. The flat portion 22B is closer to thefront 14 of the cartridge than the corresponding edge of the priorcartridge. Stated another way, the flat portion 22B extends further inthe back to front direction 22E than the corresponding portion 22F ofthe front of the shell which does not have the ear. The ear 22 is at thecorner of the cartridge which is opposite to the cartridge cornernearest the opening 20. The keying ear terminates at corners 22C and 22Don the top 19 and bottom 18 planar surfaces.

Keying grooves 24 and 25 extend along the bottom and top edges of theside 17 of the shell. These keying grooves prevent the cartridge frombeing inserted into the drive with the wrong orientation.

The groove 25 extends deeper into the planar surface 18 than the othergroove 24 extends into the planar surface 19. The correspondingprojections on the drive match these differently extending grooves sothat the cartridge can be inserted only with the proper orientation.

FIG. 5 shows the drive. A slot 30 in front of the drive receives thecartridge which is inserted into the drive for engagement of theread/write heads in the drive with the recording medium.

FIG. 5A shows a perspective view of the prior art drive of U.S. Pat. No.5,583,710 with the cover removed. The disclosure of that patent isincorporated herein by reference. As described in column 5, lines 16etc. of that patent an eject lever 50 has a cartridge push tab 58 whichengages the forward end face of a disk cartridge when the cartridge isinserted in the disk drive through the opening in the front panel of thedrive. Continued insertion of the disk cartridge causes the eject lever50 to pivot toward the rear end of the drive. As the eject lever 50pivots toward the rear end of the disk drive a cam surface slides torelease a pin which allows the motor ring to rotate. This unlocks thespindle motor. The projection 32 stops the continued insertion whichunlocks the spindle motor as just described. Also, as described fully inU.S. Pat. No. 5,583,710, the drive has a loading eject mechanism whichis cocked by full insertion of the cartridge.

In accordance with the present invention, the ear 22 on the cartridgeprevents cartridges with the ear from unlocking the spindle motor. Theear 22 engages the projection, or stop, 32 thereby preventing thecontinued insertion which unlocks the spindle motor and cocks the ejectmechanism. Stop 32 is positioned in the drive to align the cartridge hubcorrectly with the spindle motor in the drive.

However, as shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C the drive of the present inventionhas a modified interlock projection 32A located internally along thedrive slot. The interlock projection 32A has been cut away to allowcontinued cartridge insertion which unlocks the spindle motor. Theprojection area 32B has been cut away from projection 32A, to make itnarrower in the back to front direction. This allows the cartridge withthe ear to travel the full distance of insertion. The cartridge ear 22cooperates with interlock projection 32A to unlock the spindle motor andcock the eject mechanism. The size and shape of the interlock projection32 also allows the cartridge with the keying ear 22 to properly engagethe cartridge loading/eject mechanism assembly. The size, shape, andplacement of the projection 32A in the drive also allows for cartridgeswithout the keying ear 22 to engage the cartridge loading mechanismassembly.

The interlock projection 32 of earlier JAZ™ drives maintains a shape andposition that prevent cartridges containing a keying ear 22, to properlyengage the drive loading mechanism assembly, rendering such “eared”cartridges as incompatible.

The front panel 31 is shown in FIGS. 6, 7A-7C. Legs 35, 36 have hooks38, 39 which snap onto the chassis of the drive. Button 37 ejects thecartridge.

Other embodiments of the invention are possible. The appended claimsare, therefore, intended to cover all embodiments within the true spiritand scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cartridge for a drive having an interlock andread/write heads which record data in said cartridge comprising: a shellhaving a front, back, and two sides between planar surfaces; a recordingmedium in said shell; an opening in said shell for access by saidread/write heads to said recording medium; and only one interlockmechanism on said front of said cartridge between said planar surfacesat one side of said shell, said interlock mechanism comprising aprotrusion that prevents operation of a drive that does not have acooperating interlock to accept said protrusion, said protrusion havinga substantially round portion to cooperate with cooperating interlockshaving a carved region such that said substantially round protrusion isaccepted by said carved region of said cooperating interlocks, saidcartridge further having two keying grooves along the top and bottomedges of one side of said shell, one of said keying grooves extendingdeeper into one of said planar surfaces than the other groove extendsinto the other planar surface to prevent said cartridge from beinginserted into said drive with the wrong orientation.
 2. The cartridgerecited in claim 1, wherein said front comprises a round region and aflat-like region, said interlock mechanism located in said flat-likeregion.
 3. The cartridge recited in claim 2, wherein said opening islocated along said round region.
 4. The cartridge recited in claim 3,wherein said opening is in the front of said shell near one corner ofsaid cartridge and wherein said flat region extends from the othercorner of the cartridge opposite to the corner near said opening to saidround region.
 5. The cartridge recited in claim 1, wherein saidcartridge is a second generation cartridge of a multi-generationcartridge system, said interlock mechanism placed on said secondgeneration cartridges to prevent operation of said second generationcartridge with a first generation drive.